


to suppress the hidden

by sterlingcake



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Abuse, Alpha Iwaizumi Hajime, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Drug Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fake Beta, Feelings Realization, Intersex Omegas, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Discrimination, Omega Oikawa Tooru, Scenting, Sexism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:27:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28042395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sterlingcake/pseuds/sterlingcake
Summary: Subdued by his parents' wills, Oikawa Tooru lives a lie after presenting.He was a Beta through and through, or at least that's what his parents told him he would be; and he makes for a great actor.But the simple truth is that Oikawa Tooru was an Omega, and nobody even knew.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 14
Kudos: 85





	1. Prologue

He still remembers the day his life was ruined. 

It had started with a simple white envelope on the kitchen counter, begging to be read by the Oikawa family. With his doctor's office address boldly printed on the front, Oikawa grew excited at the sight of it. His results were here! 

He had felt proud, at first. For someone his age, merely a 10 year old, it was almost unheard of to present so early. But here he was, the first of his class to have any indications of his second gender show up in his bloodwork!

Oikawa had called for his mother and father with an exuberant tone, delighted to share his results with them. He didn't quite understand the depth or meaning of a second gender, but little Oikawa didn't care. All he knew was that _Alpha's were best_! At least, that's what he had heard.

His parents were both Alphas, so were his aunts and uncles, and even his grandparents. The Oikawa family was known in their prefecture for being a long line of pure Alphas. There was no doubt in Tooru's mind that he would follow in their footsteps.

 _"Alpha's are the strongest! They're way better than any other gender!"_ He remembers how confidently Aito, from his homeroom class, spoke about Alphas. He wanted to be just like that. _The strongest. The best. Better than everyone else_. He couldn't wait to rub it in Iwaizumi's face that he had presented as an Alpha before his friend did.

Tooru's chest swelled with pride as he grabbed at the white envelope, sitting down at the dinner table while impatiently swinging his legs. He straightened up and smiled as his parents descended the hallway, appearing in the doorway to look down at him with equally happy expressions. His mother approached first, reaching down to take the envelope from Tooru's small hands. She looked at her husband with a gentle expression, before tearing the top of the letter open.

Tooru watched gleefully as his parents pulled out the parchment and unfolded it, their eyes skimming over the words written there.

A beat of silence passed between the two as their smiles gradually fell away. Oikawa watched as his mother's face grew ashen with disgust, a scowl pulling her lips down. The little boy's brows furrowed as his father's expression became similarly horrified, before twisting into something much more _angry_. 

The silence continued far too long to be considered comfortable. A violent shiver clawed its way up Tooru's spine, forcing the boy to unknowingly curl in on himself. His brown doe eyes peered up at his parents with a lack of understanding. _Why are they upset?_

"Momma? Dad?" Oikawa's voice whispered quietly, breaking the silence. 

He flinched when his father's usually warm brown eyes snapped over to him with disdain in his gaze. "What did you do?" His father literally _growled_ at the boy, fury rolling off of him in waves.

Oikawa's nose wrinkled as a sharp smell suddenly hit his nose, making his eyes water. He had only just begun to be able to smell people's pheromones, but somehow he _knew_ this was the scent of an angry Alpha. 

Oikawa's eyes widened with confusion as he shrunk into himself more. "W-What?" 

His father scowled back down at him. " _You_... What the hell..." He could barely get his words out over his growls, which had only increased in intensity. 

Tooru hated the feeling his father's growls gave him. They made his spine straighten and his limbs freeze, and caused anxiety to shoot through his veins. Without knowing why, Tooru tilted his head to the side and cast his eyes down. It felt as if he were wearing a collar and someone was pulling the leash down and to the side, forcing him to look away from his dad's furious gaze.

He jumped in his seat as his equally angry mother kneeled down beside him and thrust the parchment into his little hands. Tooru grasped it with trembling fingers and flipped it over to read the contents.

The first thing that caught his eye was the large, emboldened symbol at the top right corner of the page. Tooru remembers vividly learning about the different genders in class, and what each symbol represented. And here, on this paper was a gigantic;

Ω

It took a moment for the boy to understand. 

There was no 'α' like he had expected, nor even a 'β'. This symbol...

This symbol was the indication of an Omega.

Time had stopped for little 10 year old Oikawa Tooru. He was different. He was a blemish on his family's pure Alphan bloodline, desecrating it forever. He was an Omega.

(Tooru suddenly finds himself remembering the things the other kids say about Omegas. And it was never anything good.)

It was as if he had tuned out the world around him, even able to forget about the furious stench rolling off of his parents, as he stared down at that piece of paper. 

All he remembers from that moment were the words his father spoke to him in an eerily calm tone, unlike the anger he had previously wielded.

"A Beta. That's what you will be, Tooru. I will not allow an Omega to stay in this household."

And that became Oikawa Tooru's mantra.


	2. Twenty Minutes

Oikawa Tooru was a survivor of unfortunate circumstances.

For the past decade, he had endured more than he ever thought he could handle. He's developed a talent for hiding his feelings from others, shaped by the cruelty he suffered at the hands of his parents.

Hiding. Yes, that was certainly something Oikawa was good at.

Good enough to fool all his friends and distant family, all his teachers, all the young girls that attended his volleyball games in hopes of gaining his attention and affections. The affections of a successful, popular volleyball captain _Beta_.

That's exactly what Oikawa Tooru was.

A Beta.

He had been a Beta for the past 7 years, at least. He's never known himself to be anything else. 

He had never experienced a heat, nor did he emit any pheromones. (His parents had been quite prudent about getting him his heat and scent suppressants on time, and in excess). In that sense, he was a true Beta.

Scentless, dynamic-less, _normal_. Just like his parents wanted. 

Tooru had to adapt to and resist his instinctual urges of submission when around domineering Alphas. It never got easier, no matter how many times he had been put in uncomfortable situations involving angry Alphas (especially after lost volleyball matches).

Betas weren't meant to react to an Alpha's dominance, after all. Nor were they supposed to even be able to smell pheromones. 

The only exception to this learned behavior was his parents.

Oikawa's home was no safe haven. He could not be himself anywhere, and _especially_ not at home. 

The hatred his parents felt towards Omegas was constantly directed at him behind closed doors. 

He was weak, in their eyes. And they made sure he was aware of that fact ever second he had to spend around them. His submission to them was a requirement to live in their household.

Baring his neck, whining, being compelled to gaze at the floor, Tooru experiences every downside of being an Omega when he's at home. 

He knew their rules. They had drilled it into him for nearly a decade, after all. By now, it was simply his daily routine.

(Being sure to take two suppressants per day, to wear Omegan scent masking patches beneath his shirts, avoiding any reactions to others which may give away his hidden status; all of these things were a way of life to Tooru).

After 7 years of consistent suppressant dosing, which is highly discouraged by any and all health professionals, Oikawa Tooru still thankfully hadn't experienced the severe side effects of the drug's overuse.

He knew it would come soon. Surprisingly, there were a handful of Omegas in similar situations to him who were hiding their status by drowning themselves in pills and scent masking patches and sprays. He had read nearly all the forums he could find on it online, reading up on side effects and consequences of use from the experience of others. 

There were many, and they were _ghastly_. But as afraid as Tooru was of his drug overuse, he was far more afraid of the wrath of his parents. He knew he couldn't stop; he wasn't sure if he ever would. 

Why would he even want to succumb to being an Omega, after all?

 _"Disgusting, vile whores they are."_ His father had said. _"So weak and dependent, they can't even provide for themselves. You will **never** reduce yourself to that status, Tooru."_ He still remembers the way his father spat out the word _Omega_ as if he were speaking about the Devil himself. 

And in Tooru's eyes, he was.

His Omegan status was truly the Devil rearing its ugly head at him. Hanging over his shoulders, following him around every turn at every hour of the day. Haunting him. He could _never_ accept that side of himself.

The side that makes him weak, the side that turned his parents against him.

He refused to. 

And so, with deep seated conviction, Oikawa hurried to swallow the two fat red pills sitting in his palm with a gulp of water to start off his morning. _Two a day keeps your heat away_.

He dressed himself quickly in his plaid uniform slacks and blazer, thanking whatever deity was watching over him that his pseudo-Beta status allowed him the privilege of wearing pants rather than that horrid short skirt all Omegas were required to wear at Aoba Johsai. 

Sighing, he slung his messenger back over his shoulder and hurried down the stairs, passing his mother and father in the kitchen with a curt nod. 

They said nothing to him as he exited the house. No warm goodbye, no sweet words to wish him a good day at school. Nothing. There was no love in that household, Oikawa remembered bitterly while he walked towards the end of the street. 

_If only I weren't a-_

"Shittykawa, you're late." A deep voice echoed across the empty road, ripping Tooru away from his distressing thoughts. Suddenly, the brunette found himself forgetting what he had even been thinking about in the first place the second he looked up into those bright, sage green eyes before him.

Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa's best friend, stood in front of him wearing his familiar scowl as he regarded the brunette. A genuine smile graced itself upon Oikawa's lips as his tense muscles involuntarily relaxed. 

It was strange, the way in which Iwaizumi's presence alone unwinded any and all tension in Oikawa's body. 

"Iwa-chan!~" He singsonged, waving at the dark haired Alpha as he came to stand by his side. 

If possible, the Alpha's scowl deepened even further. Had a stranger looked at the pair, they would have assumed the dark haired boy despised Oikawa. (Though they would be dead wrong in their assumptions, despite the way Iwaizumi treated him).

"If you're late again tomorrow I'm leaving without you." The brunette grumbled, striding forwards on the sidewalk to follow their familiar path to school. 

A pout immediately graced Oikawa's lips, his eyes shining playfully as he nudged Iwaizumi's shoulder with his own. "Iwa-chan, don't be so mean! You know I'm a late sleeper. I need my beauty sleep!" He whined. 

_Lies._ Oikawa knew full well that he was lying so plainly to his best friend. (Sleep was not something that came to the Omega often, after all. The concealer under his eyes, unnoticeable to most, was proof enough of that). A familiar twinge of guilt hit his stomach, reprimanding him for his dishonesty.

Iwaizumi grunted in response, rolling his eyes and returning Oikawa's teasing push of the shoulder. Oikawa's smile returned, his guilt washing away. 

It had always been like this with Iwaizumi; he was able to quell the storm brewing in Oikawa's mind just with his presence alone (and he didn't even know it). 

Oikawa had realized this a long, long time ago. Far before either of them had ever presented, far before they knew what dynamics even _were_. Maybe it had been the way Iwaizumi had always been able to make Oikawa stop his crying (whether that be through harsh words and slapping him over the head, or his rare acts of comfort he granted Oikawa when his misery was about more than just getting rejected by a girl or stubbing his toe).

He was reminded of the way Iwaizumi had been able to stop him instantly when he had tried to attack little Kageyama Tobio in a fit of rage. Rage which stemmed from the fact that he had been replaced; and by an _Alpha_ no less. 

But the second Iwaizumi had grabbed his wrist and rumbled a low growl to comfort Oikawa, his fire had been stomped out. He remembers the wave of calm that had washed over him, which he realized was Iwaizumi's soothing pheromones. Though Iwaizumi had presented years before that, Oikawa had never truly noticed his friend's scent until that exact moment. Ginger and pine, as musky as an Alpha's should be, and a small part of Oikawa wanted to bask in it forever.

(Though, the other half of Oikawa despised the way Iwaizumi's scent washed over him, the way it made his knees wobble, the way it made him want to twist his head and bear his neck to his best friend).

It had always been like this, Oikawa realized. There was just something about the shorter Alpha that calmed Oikawa to a seemingly impossible extent. Oikawa attributed it to the fact that they had known each other since birth; it was just a simple comfort of having somewhat of a _brother_ around constantly that soothed Oikawa.

"-ou," Oikawa's ears rang as he focused back on the real world, hearing the tail end of a sentence leave Iwaizumi's mouth. 

With a childish pout, Oikawa crossed his arms and looked at his best friend. "You're too quiet, Iwa-chan! Speak up!" _Another lie_. But little white lies like that did no harm, in Oikawa's opinion.

Iwaizumi groaned in return. "Listen more carefully, Trashykawa. I was saying you can't stay late for extra practice today, I can tell your knee is bothering you." Iwaizumi rumbled, gesturing to Oikawa's previously injured leg. 

_Ah_. Oikawa hummed, "Always so observant, Iwa-chan~! I won't stay long, don't worry." It was almost ridiculous how perceptive Iwaizumi was of Oikawa's habits and behaviors (yet so, so oblivious at the same time). 

"I'm serious, Oikawa. Don't push yourself when you're already hurting." His tone grew more serious, rumbling deeper than it had before.

Oikawa frowned; he didn't like it when Iwaizumi ordered him around like this, especially when it came to staying late to practice. Firstly, Oikawa was almost always bent to Iwaizumi's will, unbeknownst to the short Alpha, due to his instincts to obey. Secondly, Oikawa had more than one reason to stay late and practice.

Of course, he wanted to improve his skills. He was always striving for the top; aiming to get better and better (and hopefully get good enough to shove his talent and hard work in Ushiwaka's blank face). He loved practicing for that exact reason.

But his extra, late-night practices provided him with more than just skill sharpening time. Instead, it gave him time _away_.

Away from his house, away from his parents, away from his oppressive dynamic-driven life. His parents, if anything, were glad he stayed late for volleyball at school so they wouldn't have to be reminded that their only son was an Omega. _A failure_. They were glad that he stayed late for volleyball because at least their Omegan son could amount to _something_ , at least he had some semblance of talent to make up for his other shortcomings. 

(Even then, Oikawa could not say with confidence that his parents were proud of his volleyball talents. They had never attended a single practice or match, and they surely never would).

"An hour." Oikawa's voice quieted as he turned to look at his friend, his eyes pleading as they grew closer to the gates of Aoba Johsai High. 

A scowl grew on Iwaizumi's face once again. "No, Oikaw-"

"45 minutes-"

"No-"

"30?" Oikawa was desperate for any second he could spare to be away from his parents.

Iwaizumi sighed. "20. That's all I can let you do. I'll practice with you to make sure you don't do anything stupid." He bargained.

Oikawa's face lit up. "I knew you had a soft spot for me, Iwa-chan!" He cooed teasingly, masking his overwhelming relief with humor as to not appear suspicious to the brunette.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "Stop being a dumbass, dumbass." He nudged Oikawa's shoulder as they entered the grounds of Aoba Johsai, pushing him towards the front entrance where swarms of students were walking inside. Despite Iwaizumi's harsh words, Oikawa could see the worry in his sage green eyes.

Oikawa almost felt guilty, for a moment, but it was quick to fade. Iwaizumi was worried for nothing, after all (at least, that's what Oikawa told himself. If he had been honest from the start, he would have mentioned the slight limp he had woken up with this morning).

Oikawa hummed, lacking a response to give back to Iwaizumi. As the pair of them entered the school building and parted ways to get to their respective homerooms, all Oikawa could feel was unbridled relief and happiness with the simple 20 minutes he had been granted to be away from home tonight.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The school day flew by, thankfully, which led to Oikawa hurrying to the Alpha gym locker rooms to change into his volleyball uniform. As a Beta, he was assigned to use the Alpha locker rooms instead of the Omegan ones, to provide the two Omegas on the team with the most privacy he could offer.

The second he entered the room, he was overwhelmed by the mixed scents of the Alphas on the team, reeking of sweat and musk from a long day. Oikawa scrunched his nose.

"If B.O is all that it takes for you to make that sort of face, you wouldn't survive a day as anything other than a Beta!" Matsukawa emerged from behind one of the locker doors, slapping Oikawa on the back teasingly with a heart laugh. Oikawa nearly flinched at the words, reminded of his true status. 

He had gotten used to comments like this, which reinforced the fact that his friends all had absolutely no clue that their volleyball captain was an Omega. 

"Well I can't help it if none of you apparently know what deodorant is, Mattsun! You stink!" He whined in return, heading over to his own locker and quickly changing into his uniform. As he was putting on his captain's jersey, Matsukawa's next words made him pause.

"I've always wondered, Oikawa, but what even are those patches you wear for? Beta's don't have scents, so it's not like they're scent patches." He commented, referring to the white patch resting below Oikawa's collarbone. The brunette sighed. 

"Ah, they're actually allergy patches. They're supposed to help with my seasonal allergies, but I'm not sure they even work that well." Oikawa whined and scrunched up his nose for dramatic effect, acting as if his allergies (which he didn't have) were bothering him.

"Just ask Iwa-chan, my mom's made me wear them since I was a kid." He shrugged, using his mother's previous explanation about to patches to a young Iwaizumi to his advantage.

Iwaizumi, who had appeared beside Oikawa and was changing, nodded in response. "His mom said it was supposed to make allergies go away so you don't have to deal with them when you're older." Oikawa nearly sighed in relief, knowing he wasn't about to get caught in his lie.

Matsukawa nodded in response, appeased by their consecutive answers. The three of them left the locker room, followed by the rest of the Alphas and Betas, heading into the center of the court to set up the volleyball nets.

Oikawa caught whiffs of more musk and B.O as he walked behind a group of his Alphan kouhai, and he scrunched his nose again.

"Please learn what deodorant is, all of you!" He whined, throwing up his arms in exasperation. 

"I wish that were my only problem, Oikawa-san. If only you could smell how much these guys _reek_ of Alpha, it's honestly gross." Sassy as ever, the younger Omega Yahaba appeared at Oikawa's side with his snide remarks. 

_Oh I know full well,_ Oikawa had wanted to say, but he knew better than to run his mouth. He peered down at Yahaba and smirked.

"I'm glad I don't have to deal with all of your dumb dynamic problems." He snickered, watching Yahaba sigh in agreement and walk away. _I wish I didn't have to,_ Oikawa thought.

Despite being an Omega, Yahaba was the exact opposite of what Oikawa expected him to be. He was bold, strong, confident, and even _challenging_. The number of times Oikawa had seen Yahaba confront Mad Dog-chan, perhaps one of the scariest Alphas on the team, was astounding. _How does he do it?_

Oikawa respected him for that, but it did nothing to change his own mindset about himself. Yahaba was born to challenge boundaries. Oikawa was not. It was that simple.

 _I could never aspire to be at that_ _level_ , Oikawa thought to himself. _I am just a Beta._

Just a Beta.

Oikawa nodded to himself, resolute, before heading over to the supply closet and helping his fellow Beta Hanamaki retrieve the ball carts. 

Set up was quick, and practice was even quicker. Set after set, serve after serve, Oikawa performed at his very best. He thought about Ushiwaka's defeated face which he would hopefully see after this season. He thought of little Kageyama Tobio, beaten by Oikawa's superior skills.

Gender didn't matter here. Alpha or not, on the court, Oikawa was simply better. Or at least, he wanted to be. He hoped this season would bring him and his team to Nationals. 

After Coach Irihata called for practice to end, a few members began fumbling with the net to try and take it apart. Oikawa frowned and approached them. "Ah, please leave it up for tonight! I'm staying a little late again," He smiled, rubbing the back of his head. 

Hanamaki raised a disapproving brow at him. "Again, Oikawa?" 

"Don't turn into Iwa-chan on me, Makki!" Oikawa whined, trying to keep the conversation playful. He didn't want another one of his friends on his back about practicing extra; going home on time was the _last_ thing Oikawa needed.

Hanamaki sighed and rolled his eyes, his concern clear on his face. "Just be careful, Oikawa. We can all see that you're starting to struggle again." He lowered his voice and squeezed Oikawa's shoulder gently, before walking away with the other team members to go shower. Oikawa's brow furrowed with tension, but he didn't turn back to say anything to his friend.

A pair of sage green eyes watched him from the sidelines of the gym.

He couldn't be bothered by their concerns right now. Not when he was so close to getting his team their rightful ticket to Nationals. He needed to be better. He needed to be away from home. He needed _peace_. A type of peace that only volleyball could provide. 

(Maybe, Oikawa wondered, his parents would be proud of him (even just the slightest bit) if he won at Nationals. Maybe, just maybe, they would accept him.)

It couldn't hurt to dream, right?

(But it did).

Ball after ball, Oikawa continued to practice his jump serves until his knees screamed for relief. 

The clearing of a throat broke the brunette from his stupor, drawing his attention to the wall of the gym where he didn't even realize Iwaizumi had sat himself against. Said Alpha jerked his head towards the locker rooms, his eyes narrowed.

Oikawa's twenty minutes of peace were up.


	3. Dark Future

Oikawa should have known better than thinking he would be able to convince Iwaizumi to give him another 10 minutes of practice. He'd been in this situation plenty of times already, and he already knew the answer, but he still whined and complained every single time.

Iwaizumi's answer came in the form of a stern, forbidding "No" which involuntarily sent shivers up Oikawa's spine. The ease in which Iwaizumi was able to overpower Oikawa with his words alone was baffling. It was a constant reminder to Oikawa that his best friend was an _Alpha_ and he was _not_.

When Iwaizumi told him to take a shower and get ready to go home, Oikawa complied without hesitation. No matter how much he tries to ignore it, his Omegan status always comes out to play one way or another. Whether it be avoiding eye contact without wanting to, or bowing his head when in a room full of Alphas, or complying to any of Iwaizumi's demands of him. He tried to fight it, and sometimes (rarely) he succeeded, but more often than not he was a slave to his primal instincts. 

But regardless of this fact, he was thankfully surrounded by a bunch of idiots; none of them suspected a thing about his true status. How could an Omega have no scent, how could an Omega command a team of nearly all Alphas so powerfully, how could an Omega be _Oikawa Tooru_? 

He wasn't one, it was that simple.

 _I'm a Beta_ , Oikawa repeated in his head as he dressed himself into his school uniform after his shower. Iwaizumi did the same some ways away from him, not saying a word. 

The silence in the room was nothing new to Oikawa. In fact, it was rather common on days like this; days where Iwaizumi would get mad at him for overexerting himself with volleyball practice. His best friend's grumpiness would only grow more intense on these kinds of days.

Oikawa was a little thankful for the silence as they walked together to their homes, side by side. Their arms brushed occasionally, as they always did, but it did nothing to stir a conversation.

Oikawa would occasionally sneak glances at Iwaizumi, taking in the hardness in his expression. His eyes would trail across his clenched jaw and furrowed brow and something in his gut would _tug,_ reminding him that this was his fault. It was his fault Iwaizumi was upset; he had messed up again, after all.

Somewhere deep in the recess of his mind, there was a small instinctual feeling that he was a _bad Omega. Bag Omega, making his Alpha angry._

Oikawa was horrified by the tugging sensation which urged him to comfort Iwaizumi. A little gasp escaped his lips as he pushed the strange, foreign urges away, immediately averting his eyes to look at the concrete below him as they walked.

The sudden gasp drew Iwaizumi's attention towards Oikawa, his brows furrowing even more. "What is it, Shittykawa?" He grumbled, confused by the strange outburst.

Oikawa avoided his friend's eyes, instead choosing to look up at the sky. "J-Just thinking about training practice this weekend, is all." _Shit_ , he thought as his voice came out airier and _shakier_ than he ever intended. Oikawa Tooru does not _stutter_ , and Iwaizumi knew that very well. 

Hajime rose an unbelieving brow, but didn't question it as he answered with a grunt and turned away. 

Oikawa nearly sighed in relief. The last thing he needed was to be grilled by Iwaizumi right now, especially not when he was so close to having to face the wrath of his parents again.

Speaking of, they had already arrived at Oikawa's house, which was always the first stop on the way home. Oikawa regarded the traditional Japanese style home with subtly disdainful eyes. The last thing he wanted in the world was to go in there, but he knew he couldn't crash at Iwaizumi's for the time being considering the latter's current mood.

"Thank's for the walk home, Iwa-chan!~" He lilted, plastering a fake smile on his face as he faced his best friend. 

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes as he regarded Oikawa's obviously false grin, his expression growing unimpressed. "I'm not going to apologize for stopping you from overworking yourself, Shittykawa. Maybe try being a normal person and get some rest for once, dumbass." He rolled his eyes, making Oikawa's smile falter.

"So mean, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa pouted, playfully nudging the Alpha's shoulder with his own. He didn't miss the way Iwaizumi's lips flickered upwards just the slightest, revealing that his anger towards the brunette was more diminished now that he had time to cool off. 

A strange sensation of warmth and relief flooded Oikawa's body at the sight, making him aware once more of the foreign feeling in the back of his mind as it became sated. Oikawa shook off the odd feeling, instead choosing to wave at Iwaizumi as he turned away to go to his own home.

"Don't be late for our practice match, dumbass." Iwaizumi said gruffly, waving back before turning away and heading home.

Oikawa watched his retreating figure as it grew smaller and smaller, his heart sinking. Without Iwaizumi, Oikawa had nowhere to go except inside; and that was the last place he ever wanted to be. But he knew he had no choice.

Once Iwaizumi was no longer visible over the horizon, Oikawa turned and walked up the driveway towards his home. He felt his skin prickle as he grew closer, warning him of certain danger the closer he got. It was a familiar sensation, but something about today in particular made it grow worse.

The hairs on the back of his neck grew stiff as he suddenly noticed an unfamiliar car behind his father's, one he hadn't seen before. It was a luxury brand, clearly expensive by the looks of it, and it just screamed high class. Oikawa didn't like it one bit, and he especially didn't like the implication that it brought with it; there were _guests_. Guests he didn't know, at that.

He grit his teeth as he walked up the path to the front door, opening it hesitantly and removing his shoes in the genkan. He paused as he heard the sounds of clinking silverware and idle chatter coming from the dining room, unfamiliar voices floating into his ears.

It was then that Oikawa leaned back and sniffed the air, his head turned towards the dining room. He smelled his parents, as he always did, but he also smelled two others. Alphas, clear as day from their musky, woodsy scents. 

Their smells sent unpleasant shivers down Oikawa's spine. Something about their intense, almost _expectant_ smells made a sense of foreboding build in Oikawa's gut. He didn't like this one bit. 

His presence was suddenly announced when his mother called for him from the dining room, obviously having heard the door close. "Tooru, come and greet our guests!" It wasn't a request. This was an _order_.

His feet moved before he even know it, dragging him over until he stood in the doorway of the dining room. His parents were there, dressed nicer than he had seen them in quite awhile. Clearly trying to impress their guests. Ah, right, the guests. 

There were two people sitting across the table from his parents, dressed just as nice (if not nicer) than them. A man and a woman, both with stern, sharp faces that screamed of their Alphan status. 

" _Greet_ our guests, Tooru." His mother's sharp reminder made him jump, before he remembered what exactly she meant.

_"Remember, Tooru, an Omega's place is always below an Alpha's. When we have important guests over, ones who know what you truly are, you are to bow to them. Do you understand me?" Little ten year old Tooru listened to his stern mother with a frown, not really understanding what she meant._

_"Bow how?" He had asked innocently, still confused by all the 'status' talk his mother and father had pushed onto him since they found out about his second gender._

_Tooru grew sad as his mother sneered down at him, her eyes sharp as knives and filled with disdain. Tears pricked the little boy's eyes as she suddenly reached out and grabbed a handful of his hair, harshly forcing his forehead to the ground until he was fully prostrating._

_Little Tooru didn't understand (he didn't **want** to understand) why he had to do such strange, humiliating things. He didn't understand why his parents looked at him with scorn now, instead of pride. He wanted things to go back to normal._

_But unfortunately for him, they never would._

Immediately, Tooru dropped to his knees and bowed to the Alphan couple, his forehead hitting the cold hardwood floor before him. "Welcome to our household," He spoke in an even, respectful tone, resisting the urge to add unnecessary sass to the statement.

Oikawa waited with bated breath, staying down in a prostrating position, as the couple took their time to reply. Once one of them cleared their throat, Oikawa was quick to bring his head back up and lean back onto his heels, still kneeling.

The couple regarded him like one would a piece of fruit at the grocery store, their eyes appraising; looking for any bruises or scratches that would make the merchandise unworthy. Tooru didn't understand the purpose for these gazes, as it was something he had never experienced at home before. 

Never had his parents brought unfamiliar guests over who knew of Oikawa's status; he had never had to actually use that greeting before. It was something his mother and father had nailed into him at a young age, but over the years he learned he would never have to actually do it; until today.

He was left in the dark, failing to understand who these people were and why they were here, and especially why they _knew_ what Tooru was.

The couple's eyes grew less evaluating and more satisfied once they were done searching for whatever they had been looking for. Without saying a word to Tooru, they turned to his parents with pleased expressions. 

"He's clearly of good health and status, and it seems you've raised him well. We have to say we're very interested." The husband spoke first, voicing his approval of Tooru for... Some reason? Tooru grew confused. 

Why were they speaking of him as if he weren't even there? And why... Why on earth were they talking about him as if he were a pig up for slaughter?

Tooru gulped and fidgeted where he kneeled, his eyes flicking back and forth between his parents and the strange, wealthy couple that were interested in Tooru for a reason he couldn't understand.

"Again, we do apologize our son couldn't make it over tonight, he's been quite busy with his U-19 training." The woman spoke this time, giving his parents an apologetic look.

Tooru's eyes widened, his head jerking back in surprise. _U-19? The Japan under 19 representative team? What-_ Tooru was beyond confused now. Who on earth was their son? Why was he supposed to be here tonight? What are they-

"Oh, it's no worries Ushijima-san. We know your son is a very capable Alpha, we have all the faith in the world that he would make a wonderful match." The content, honeyed tone of his mother took Tooru aback.

Wait a minute-

_"Ushijima-san"_

Bile rose in Tooru's throat. Static roared in his ears, blocking out the ensuing conversation between the two couples. 

_Ushijima._

These were Ushiwaka's parents. Ushijima Wakatoshi, ace of Shiratorizawa, and Oikawa Tooru's biggest enemy.

With blurring vision, Tooru looked back up to regard the stern guests. The mother had a bob greenish brown hair, and the father had unmistakably golden-olive toned eyes. The sharpness of their jawlines and grimness of their brows was undeniable. These were definitely Ushiwaka's parents.

 _Why the hell are they here-_ Tooru thought for a second, his stomach churning. But then he recalled what exactly his mother had said. 

_"He would make a wonderful match,"_ Tooru froze where he sat, his eyes lowering back to the floor in shock. 

A match.

This... This was more than just a friendly meeting between volleyball parents.

 _"He's of good health and status", "We're very interested", "Capable Alpha", "Wonderful match."_ The words echoed in his head on repeat, droning on and on in his skull until it ached.

Tooru didn't want to believe it. Refused to, even. But it was all clear as day now. 

He had been completely blindsided by his parents by this, they had never once mentioned their intent about doing this to him. He was only 17 after all, he never once thought they would resort to... This. Sure they were extremely biased about second genders, and they had plenty of less than savory things to say about Omegas and their place in the world, but this was on a whole other level. 

It was something Tooru had never seen in his future. In his mind's eye, Tooru had envisioned graduating and then getting as far away from his parents as he possibly could, while hopefully still keeping volleyball within his career. 

But this was something that would make absolutely sure that Tooru would _never_ get away from his parents control over him. No, this ensured that Tooru would be reminded of his status every single day.

It was an outdated occurrence these days, but among highly traditional families like his own, it was something that perhaps wasn't so rare.

Arranged Omegan marriage, that is. Where Alphan parents essentially auction off their Omegan child to families of similar statuses with an Alphan child. It was a traditional way of keeping wealthy families close and ensuring the procuration of even more wealth, while also keeping the family's Omegas under their control.

By marrying off a young Omega to an Alpha, it made certain that the wealth would continue while also putting an Omega to their primal use; to bear children for their Alphas. 

In contemporary families it was seen as a barbaric practice which oppressed Omegas by forcing them into a bond they didn't want. It instilled traditional values of keeping Omegas in the home, having their only duties be taking care of the house and bearing children. It was a disgusting custom that Oikawa never once considered would be his reality. 

His knees were glued to the floor as the cold actuality of his future settled onto him. This was something his parents must have been planning for _years_ , lining up potential suitors to keep Tooru in a traditional household after graduation. They must have known he would have tried to abandon them. 

He felt sick, his limbs weak and shaky as his heart beat painfully loud in his chest. They had planned this. His parents had planned this for years and let him believe he'd be able to run away from them after graduation. How fucking _naive_ he had been to think they'd ever let him live freely again.

And of all people, of all potential suitors for him to be matched up with, it had to be _him_. Ushijima Wakatoshi, the one person he could confidently say he hates the most in this world. Perhaps his parents think they are being merciful by pairing him up with the prefecture's most well known volleyball star, but little do they know Tooru hates him with every bone in his body.

The thought of being forced to bond with Ushiwaka was _disturbing_ , to say the least. That man was an emotionless volleyball robot in Tooru's opinion, there's no way he could ever imagine Ushiwaka having emotions for anything other than the sport.

The idea of having that disgustingly intense, confident gaze on him for longer than a single volleyball match made Tooru's skin crawl. 

_I can't let this_ happen, he realized as he flicked his gaze back up to the chatting couples. Determination burned in his gaze as he listened to their idle chatter, thinking of ways he could get away from this arrangement. 

"Once he graduates and turns 18 in July, the wedding can follow shortly after." His mother spoke with a sickly sweet tone, trying to appease the couple before her. It clearly worked, based off of the satisfied smiles on the Ushijima's faces. 

"That's perfect timing, right before Wakatoshi would be preparing for the V-League." His father replied, before the conversation grew casual again. 

Tooru didn't know how long he sat there, kneeling on the ground and fighting off nausea. He didn't know how long his parents were buttering up the Ushijima family to get on their good side. He didn't know what they talked about, or if their conversation revolved around him; he avoided listening.

All Tooru knew was that he needed to find a way out of this, and he only had so many months to do so.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

By the time the training match had arrived, Tooru was a shell of himself. He knew he was late for the first practice game the second he woke up, groggy and irritated and with his phone beeping incessantly. He couldn't bring himself to care. In fact, he hadn't been able to in the few days that had passed since meeting the Ushijima's.

Oikawa felt numb. He had been trying his best to act normal around his friends, and he had done a pretty damn good job of it, but something about the way Iwaizumi had looked at him in the last two days felt _off_. 

Oikawa hated how perceptive his best friend was sometimes. He knew something was up, that much was obvious, but Tooru knew Iwaizumi well enough to know that he wasn't going to pry unless he was absolutely sure something was wrong. 

Tooru was going to be absolutely sure Iwaizumi didn't get far enough to even think of prying into what was wrong. If he did, Tooru had no idea how he would react; all he knew was that it wouldn't end well. There was even a possibility of Iwaizumi finding out the _truth_ , and that absolutely, under no circumstances, could ever happen.

Oikawa had thought of a million different possibilities about escaping, about getting away from his parents, and getting away from his impending marriage. 

_Marriage_. At 18. To Ushijima Wakatoshi. Bearing his pups, having to take his bond mark. 

Tooru was horrified. It was never something he had thought about seriously before now. He had always thought he'd continue taking his medication and ignoring his Omegan status until the day he died. 

Becoming someone wife and _mate_ , not to mention a mother, had never crossed his mind before. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be forced to stop taking his medication. He didn't want to be forced to have his first heat and spend it with Ushijima of all people. He never thought he'd even have a heat in the first place.

He needed a way out.

He had plenty of ideas, most of them including ways of keeping volleyball in his life. Surely he would have offers extended to him outside of high school, perhaps he could find a way to accept them without his parents knowing. If he saved up enough, he could afford a one way plane ticket out of Miyagi towards a new life. 

(Tooru preferred to blatantly ignore the fact that leaving Miyagi also meant leaving Iwaizumi).

He ran a hand down his face as he rolled out of bed, clumsily picking up his phone to mute it as messages continued to roll in. With a quick glance at the time, he knew he was beyond the point of arriving even fashionably late. 

Tooru struggled into his volleyball clothes and grabbed his volleyball bag, making sure to also apply his patches and take his morning suppressants. The pills felt like lead as they moved down his throat, sitting heavily in his stomach.

A wave of overwhelmed nausea hit his stomach as he forced himself to go downstairs, skipping breakfast and thanking whatever God may be out there that his parents were already at work. Once he had his shoes on, he was out the door nearly running. 

Tooru felt momentary guilt when he realized Iwaizumi must have waited for him alone this morning, and he never showed up. But once he remembered the events of last night that led to him to oversleep, he found himself not particularly caring what anyone else on the team was going to think.

It's not like today was an important practice match anyways. From what he heard, it was some old powerhouse public school that fell off the map ages ago. Karasana High, or something like that? Oikawa didn't really care; it was going to be an easy win anyways. He hadn't heard much about their school, and in Tooru's eyes, that meant that they were just plain old _weak_.

They would just be another school in Miyagi that they would have to overcome in the InterHigh matches. And once they did that, they would get to finally face off against Shiratorizawa. Against _Ushijima_. Oikawa shivered.

Would Ushijima know, by then? Has he known all this time that Tooru was an Omega? Has he known all this time that Tooru might be a potential _bride_ of his? The thought made Oikawa ill. He wondered if, at some point, Ushijima would reach out to him (he certainly hoped he wouldn't).

That robot of a man didn't have any social media, from what Tooru knew. And he doubted he had enough emotional capacity to keep up friendships through texting. Tooru felt fairly confident that he wouldn't have to worry about online contact; all he had to worry about was avoiding him in person. And outside of volleyball matches, that would be more than easy.

If he didn't have to encounter Ushijima in person, then nobody would have any way of knowing that Tooru was being sold off by his parents to be the buffoon's bride. He sighed in relief at the thought, slowing down his jog as he approached the gym of Aoba Johsai. 

The sound of squeaking sneakers and chatter hit his ears as he reached the door, making him feel suddenly invigorated. The thought of getting out there and playing at his best, no matter how unimportant the game was, made him _happy_ again. 

But when Oikawa opened the gym doors and his eyes zeroed in on his ex-kouhai, Kageyama Tobio, he suddenly remembered why Iwaizumi was pushing this practice match so much. _Ah, that's right_ , he thought, remembering back on when Coach Irihata explicitly told him that Kageyama was the starting setter for this old public school, even as a first year.

Karasuno High. That's what their name was. And to his surprise, they had won the first set.

The screams of girls and boys alike fell on deaf ears as Oikawa strolled into the gymnasium, taking in the sight of the teams on break and resting. From the looks of it, Karasuno didn't seem like a ridiculously strong opponent. They had a few tall players, but nobody particularly stood out to him aside from Kageyama. However, Tooru was a little curious about the tiny orange haired kid who was yelling about something ridiculous on the other side of the court.

Waves of new scents hit him all at once as he got closer, and Oikawa was surprised to find that there were a few Omega's among Karasuno's ranks. He couldn't distinguish which scent belonged to who, but it only made him more curious. The only one he'd peg for obviously being an Omega was a the orange haired shorty. He wondered if they—

"You said you wouldn't be late, Shittykawa." Oikawa jumped and turned around to find Iwaizumi at his side, looking just as grumpy as he expected him to be. Drenched it sweat, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows, Iwaizumi looked pissed. (In a strange, inexplicable way, seeing Iwaizumi like that lifted his mood immensely. His muscles relaxed, his mind cleared, and he was able to forget about his worries for the time being).

A sincere smile lifted Oikawa's lips as he looked at his best friend. "Sorry Iwa-chan, but I told you already that I need my beauty sleep!" He lilted, putting his hands on his hips. Iwaizumi scowled and quickly chopped Oikawa on the back of the head.

"We dropped the first set cause of you, dumbass." He grunted as Oikawa whined and rubbed the sore spot on his head, walking over with him towards the coach and rest of the team. 

"Oh, you're here Oikawa. How's your leg?" Coach Irihata turned on the bench to face him, giving him an inquisitive look. Oikawa smiled and tilted his head, raising his hand into an 'ok' sign.

"Pefect! I'm good to do regular practice. It was only a light sprain." He replied. Irihata may be under the assumption that he was late due to problems with his previous knee injury, but that was far from the truth; even Iwaizumi knew that much. (Not that it mattered, nobody was going to find out anyways).

"Honestly, be more careful. They met our demand to bring Kageyama so we lose face if we aren't using our official setter." Irihata continued, making Oikawa scratch the back of his head apologetically.

"Oikawa-san, please don't hurt yourself!" A group of Omegan girls squealed from the balcony. Oikawa had to hide his flinch as he smiled and waved to them, which only served to make their squeals louder. He had never grown used to the attention he got from girls around the school, in fact it was something that rather made him uncomfortable.

There had been plenty of instances where he had overheard some of the girls talking about him in less than savory ways. Many of them, from what he had heard, were sad that he was a Beta and not an Alpha. Oh, how they swooned over the idea of him being an Alpha. _If only they knew_.

Tooru sighed and turned his attention back to the new team waiting at the other end of the court, particularly towards Tobio. The young Alpha and his team were watching Tooru inquisitively, their eyes looking almost intimidated. The sight of it made Tooru's chest swell; there was nothing in the world that he loved more than intimidating his opponents.

And so, he plastered the fakest smile he possibly could and waved to his young kouhai. "Yoo-hoo! Long time no see, Tobio-chan! Having fun being the king?" He grew even more satisfied as Tobio scowled and turned back to his team to say something about Tooru's serves. Whatever he said seemed to make the little ginger boy pale and tense, even more scared than he had been before. 

"Go get warmed up, and be more thorough than usual!" Irihata yelled from beside him, pointing towards the back. Oikawa sighed and nodded, turning away from the strange ensemble that was Karasuno High. 

"Yes sir!" He lilted, leisurely strolling towards the end of the court.

This time for sure.

It was this time that Oikawa would finally get to crush little Kageyama Tobio. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the slow updates! I just moved back into my college house after new years so I'm still adjusting.
> 
> I've been finding myself struggling A LOT with casual dialogue between Iwaizumi and Oikawa, which I was surprised by. I just really don't know what to make them talk about in between more important scenes :( So I apologize if it's a little choppy!  
> If you have any tips please let me know :) 
> 
> I always appreciate your comments and feedback!


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